


And Found it Sweet

by AceQueenKing



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Developing Relationship, Family History, Mention of Julian's Genetic Resequencing, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 03:23:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceQueenKing/pseuds/AceQueenKing
Summary: Miles protested the idea, but Keiko thought he protested too much.





	And Found it Sweet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [weakinteraction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/weakinteraction/gifts).



Miles protested the idea, but Keiko thought he protested too much.

"This isn’t…," he said, fumbling over his post-dinner scotch as he casually reacted to her suggestion that they invite his darts partner to be _more_ than just a darts partner. She curled her hands around a lock of his curly red hair. "I haven't-- you've always been enough for me, Keiko, you know that."

"I do," she said, carefully tracing a hand across his shoulder. "But I'm not blind, Miles." Frankly, if Miles and Bashir generated any more sexual tension in their dart matches, Keiko thought, those two were going to choke a good third of the plant species she’d tried to help flourish in the limited hydroponic gardens on Deep Space Nine, and more than a few of her plants required an less optimal mix of male pheromones to oxygen. "I like Julian, too. He's a good man. I trust him. And besides, two kids, both in sports...Think of what we’d save on Doctor’s bills if he moved in."

"There's...." Miles lips twitched in sheer stubbornness, and she could see the wheels in his head spinning, desperate for an excuse to explain his hesitance to invite Bashir to join them. He shrugged and huffed out a long sigh, and she leaned deeper into his shoulder. She knew he had come around, even if he couldn't admit it to himself yet. "There's no indication he'd be interested in such an... _arrangement_."

"Ask him." She leaned into his shoulder and he nodded, giving in. He tilted his glass toward her and she smiled, grabbing his glass and finishing the last dregs of alcohol.

“Fine!” He snorted. He reached out and tapped her cheek. “But if this blows up in our face, you’re dealing with the fallout. Including finding a new doctor for the children, because I can’t imagine he’ll want to see us for a while.”

“If I must,” she said, though she was quite He sealed their discussion with a kiss, and she found it sweet.

\---

Bashir knew something was wrong with Miles; the only question was, what, exactly, was wrong.

At first, he’d thought medical emergency; Miles had gone red during their darts game and asked if he could speak to Bashir _privately_ , and Miles was never one for subtlety. It was something he rather liked about his friend; there were no politics to Miles. What you saw was what you got.

At first he’d thought it had been a medical issue, but Miles had declined the use of his office, blushing vociferously. It was only once he’d gotten to the O’Brian’s house and been served a cup of tea by a winking Keiko that he known whatever the conversation was, it was going to be earth-shattering.

“So you see – “Miles was gripping his own mug like death itself wanted to wrestle it from you. “Keiko and I were wondering –- “He glanced to Keiko and Bashir thought: she’s _moral support_ , and his stomach knotted, the tea suddenly roiling. Whatever it was, it was a large question: caring for their children after they died, perhaps? He’d never been the fathering kind, but…

“It’s not – if this isn’t something you’re interested in, you say the word, and it won’t come up again. Or affect things in any way, alright?” Miles blabbered, giving him a phrase that was only uttered before a radical change in relationship.

He glanced towards the children’s rooms, found them shut. “What’s going on?” He asked quietly.

“It’s nothing if you’re not interested, really, if its not your – “

“Miles.” Keiko interrupted, patting his hand. “Spit it out.”

He nodded toward her, relieved. Keiko was a fellow scientist, and she certainly didn’t believe in dragging things out.

“What – what I’m trying to say is, Keiko and I have been talking and…there’s clearly an attraction. There. Between ah, the three of us, and we were wondering – “

Bashir did the only thing he could. He burst out laughing.

The entire room was deathly quiet, and he could see Miles gesture to Keiko in what he suspected was a “told you so” gesture, but he couldn’t stop. The thought of it was – him, honestly. He tried to imagine where that would go: oh certainly, the bedroom was not so bad a thought, but then there was their family. Was he the type to wash dishes? To help Molly and Yoshi with their homework? Ludicrous, _preposterous_. There had been situations he had gone running from for far less. He looked at Keiko and O’Brian and realized with a start that they were both fertile, and he thought of poor dead Jules Bashir, so long ago. How much had they altered of him? If she had wanted him to father a third member of their brood, would it be Julian’s son, or Jules?

And yet, and _yet_. He could see it, in his mind’s eye: pizza night with the O’Brians’, Molly on Keiko’s knee, Yoshi in Mile’s lap, and their newest child in his arm; Keiko’s arms around his shoulder, playing with Miles’ hands on the other side. He could see it and he wanted it and that knowledge made him suddenly, overwhelmingly terrified of it: hyperventilation ran into him with all the speed of a freight train, and he took deep puffs of air trying to calm himself.

He glanced across the table. Miles’ eyes were sunk down into the table, and Keiko’s mouth was frowning, still speechless. “I’m sorry,” he wheezed; he reached out a hand. “You….took me by surprise.”

“I see that,” Miles said, his voice quiet. “Forget it, we don’t – just forget we had this conversation, okay?” Miles stood, code for _conversation over_ , but Julian held out a hand.

“I…” He stood. “You know, it’s not often I’m knocked speechless.” When he was left unmoored, Julian retreated to his oldest crutch: humor. But it put a smile on Miles face that made him wonder if, perhaps, he could salvage this.

“It’s okay, Julian,” Keiko said. “Thank you for at least hearing us out.” She got up and held out a hand, and he understood: this was a closing door, or an opening one, but it could only be one or the other.

His pulse raised, his vision dangerously blurred, but still he reached out and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his lips.

“I didn’t say no,” he murmured. “This sort of thing is ….new to me. But…I’m willing to try, if you are.”

Keiko smiled, and already, he found it infectious. She embraced him in a hug, and then turned to O’Brian. To his surprise, O’Brian was still standing there, arms folded.

“Aye,” he said, jerking his head toward Keiko and Bashir. “Where’s my kiss?”

“Right here,” Bashir purred; thinking with surprise of just how much he was looking forward to family dinners, he leaned forward and planted a kiss square on O’Brian’s lips.

The future, he thought, tasted sweet.

 


End file.
